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7 To all whom it may concern.-

UNITED STATES PAT NT Orricn.

CHARLES N. GHADWICK, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

ST'OCKlNG-SU'PPO'RTE R'.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent-No. 350,291., dated October 5 1886. Application filed J one 14, 1886. Serial N 0. 205,069. (No model.)

Be it known that I, CHARLES N. CHADWICK of Brooklyn,in the county of Kings and State of NewYoi-k, have invented a new Improvement in Stocking-Supporters; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in

Figure 1, a face View of the eye-piece attached to one end of a strap; Fig. 2, the blank from which the eye-piece is made; Fig. 3, a transverse section through the eye-piece, showing the flanges turned from one side; Fig. 4. a transverse section through the interlocking device at thelower end of the legs; Fig. 5, a transverse section through the strap and eyepiece set therein; Fig. 6,the same section, showing the flange struck down upon the reverse side; Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10, modifications.

This invention relates to an improvement in the manufacture of that class of stocking-supporters which consist of a strap attached to the garment or person above and extending downward, its lower end provided with a loop or eye of substantially V shape, and so that a portion of the stocking passed through the larger part of the opening in the eye will be drawn down into the narrow portion, and by the contraction into the narrow portion be held. While designed with special reference to stocking-supporters, it is applicable for similar purposes.

The class of holders or fastenings to which I particularly refer is such as found in United States Patent N o. 57, 247 and later patents.

In the more general construction of this class of holders or supporters, they are cut from sheet metal. Such cutting naturally leaves a square edge around the opening, its angles sharp. 1n finishing by tumbling or other process the angles are somewhat dulled; but unavoidably many escape with so sharp an edge as to out the stocking, making a serious objection to this class of supporters.

The object of my invention is to overcome this difliculty.

To make the eye-piece with a V-shaped opening, as seen in Fig. 1, I cut a blank from sheet metal, as seen in Fig. 2, (1 representing the upper bar, and b the two sides or legs, the two legs disconnected at theirlower ends. The width of the two legs is substantially double the width required for the finished eye-piece. Near the lower end of one leg I make transverse cuts, to form a tongue-piece, d, and in the opposite legI cut a corresponding slit, 6,through which the tongue-piece is adapted topass, and also cut diagonal slits f at the upper angles from the inside outward, about one-half the width. I then turn the inner edge of the legs backward, making the bend, as indicated by the broken line, Fig. 2, and so as to form a flange, g, projecting from the reverse side, as seen in Fig. 3. I then bring the lower ends of the legs together, as seen in Fig. 4, and pass the tongue d through the slit 6 and bend it back upon the reverse side, so as to interlock the ends of the two legs, and as indicated in Fig. 1, so that the lower ends become firmly united. The eye-piece then has a flange substantially around its opening. The strap A, Fig. 5, has a slit cut through it at the required position, and the eye-piece is applied, the flange passing through the opening, as seen in Fig. 5, and then the flange struck down upon the reverse side, after the manner of setting an eyelet, as seen in Fig. 6, thus making a metal binding around the edge of the opening, presenting a finished rounded edge to the material, which may be introduced through the opening, and which cannot cut the fabric or otherwise injure it, thus overcoming the difficulties existing in the cut holders or eyes before mentioned. The shape of the opening is immaterial. For convenience of illustration, I have described it as of V shape; but it may be V-shaped through its upper portion, and from the apex downward a narrow slit with substantially parallel sides, as seen in Fig. 7. In this case the flange will be cut, as indicated by the broken lines, Fig. 8, so as to readily form the angle at the intersection of the two .and the lower ends are interlocked. In order to form the flange around the narrower portion of the opening, and for the reason that the depth of the flange must be very much greater than the width of the narrower part of the opening in the finished article, as shown, it is necessary to separate the lower ends, and then bring them together as the flange is turned, and as the strain comes upon the narrower portion of the slot, tending to open the two sides, it is necessary that the lower ends shall be interlocked in some manner. I prefor to do this by means of the tongue formed on the one part through a corresponding slot in the other part; but they may be overlapped and riveted, asindicated in Fig. 10, or soldered or secured by any of the known mechanical c ontrivances for uniting metals.

, I claim-- 1. The herein-described metal eye-piece for stocking-supporters, consisting of two legs connected across the top, the said legs and top having a flange formed upon their inner edge of greater depth than the width of the Dan rower part of the opening in the finished article, the opening between the said legs contracting from the top downward to a point where the two legs meet, and the two legs secured together at the said meeting-point, substantially as described.

2. A metal eye-piece for stocking-supporters, consisting of two legs connected at their upper ends, the legs having each a flange upon their inner edge, and turned from one side, the one leg constructed with a tongue on its inner edge near the lower end, and the other leg with a corresponding slot, the lower ends of the legs brought together, and the said tongue turned through the said slot to secure the said lower ends together, the opening between the legs contracting from the upper end downward, substantially as described.

CHARLES N. OHADWIOK.

Vitnesses JOHN E. EARLE, FR D. C. EARLE. 

